Navigation

2009 Fall Newsletter

Alumni Update

Jeralee Anderson

(2004 Civil Engineering 2000-04 Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Mustang Band, Kappa Kappa Psi) I finished my M.S.C.E. at the University of Washington in 2008 and decided to continue onto a Ph.D. I’m currently instructing an undergraduate course I developed in sustainability and civil engineering, and I still play bassoon in the UW Symphonic Band.

Frank M Buller

(1959 Math, 1955-1959 Marching Band, Concert Band, Assistant Band Director, Drum Major, Men’s Glee Club, Majors and Minors, Head Student Director of Men’s Glee Club) After graduation I directed a men’s singing group in the San Jose area until 1963. In 1967 I moved to Tulsa, OK, the birthplace of SPEBSQSA, and started singing barbershop. I sang in several different quartets. I now play tuba in a dixieland group named the Dixieland Dudes. We even use music sometimes. I work for a computer company in Laguna Beach, CA. We have established a data warehouse for product manufacturers and distributors so their customers can create purchase orders and populate their POS systems in the retail store without having to key-in all the information.

Myrna (Bracken) Denny

(1966 Home Ec., 1963-66 Women’s Glee Club) I taught school for many years in Livermore and Hayward, directed the children’s choir in my church, gave piano lessons, and after retiring, my husband and I moved to Bakersfield where I have been singing with the South Valley Sound for 2 years. We are in the Bakersfield chapter of Sweet Adelines International, which is barbershop harmony. This singing is quite challenging, and a bit more challenging for my 65-year old pipes. I am doing surprisingly well as a baritone singer and part leader. We just competed in our regional competion, and finished 5th place. We compete in a very large region which includes Las Vegas, Long Beach, Santa Monica and the Central Coast, so placing 5th is quite good with a chorus of 37 members. Next year we have committed to changing our B chorus to a B+ or A- chorus.
Thanks to Davy (H.P. Davidson) for instilling great singing habits and discipline. I adored that man.

Vito Chiesa

(1987 Fruit Science, 1984-87 University Jazz Band) I am currently farming in the Central Valley and do not play much anymore. I have great memories of the people at Cal Poly that I played with and our director Graydon Williams a.k.a “Chief.”

Harold F Hinkle

(4 years Collegians Dance Band) Still playing piano/keyboards. Play regularly with an 18-piece big band, “Doug Seymour’s Sentimental Journey.” We play all the swing era arrangements; i.e. Glenn Miller, the Dorseys, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Harry James, etc. I also play piano for the Church of the Foothills, located in Pasadena.
On Good Friday I accompanied a choir performing a variety of works ranging from classical to contemporary at the Hacienda Heights Baptist Church.

Chris Kay

(1996 Music Major, 1991-96 Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Choir and Jazz Band) I'm in my ninth year as the band director at Union Middle School in San Jose. We currently have about 170 students participating in the music department. I teach beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of concert band, a music exploratory class, and a jazz band. My wife Alyssa and I now have two kids of our own: Sammi (4) and Evan (2) . We also have the family dog Cozy (7).

Jim Littier

(1988 History, 1983-88 University Singers, Men’s Chorus, Jazz Group) I’m a real estate broker in Redding. Still enjoy singing and songwriting and sing for weddings as well as doing gigs at restaurants and in the community. Have 4 children.

Stephanie (Tuey) Loomis

[1987 Journalism, 1983-1990 University Singers, worked for Dr. Craig Russell (my favorite professor ever)] Moved to Georgia four years ago and have found a wonderful music community! I teach literature at a tiny school (classes meet twice a week,) edit an on-line magazine (stampersquest.com), and am branching out artistically into mixed media and photography. All three of my daughters are musicians: the eldest sings in the show choir at Georgia Southern University, my second plays trumpet in the Walton High School band and has been to all-state twice, while my youngest has found her niche in percussion—even performed at the Mid-West Conductors’ Clinic in Chicago last December. I’ll be in Pasadena for New Year’s as the Walton High School Marching Raider Band will be part of the Tournament of Roses parade. I never went to the parade growing up only two hours away, but with my daughter marching, I’ll be there!
I sing in the church choir, but have found real joy singing with the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Singers. We’ve sung Beethoven’s 9th, Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances, and Carmina Burana since I joined. The Chamber Singers is preparing a jazz concert in mid-May. Exciting times! Life is Good!

Doug Mayer

[1998 ARCE, 1992-1998 Wind Orchestra (flute, tuba, bass trombone), Jazz Band (bass trombone, flute)] Wow, it’s been awhile. I’m living in Fresno with my wife (Jenn) and baby daughter (Penelope). I work for a local architecture and engineering firm as a licensed structural engineer. After a couple-year hiatus, I’m playing flute again with the Fresno Community Concert Band (a great group). I’m also trying to save some money so I can finally buy a tuba and start playing that again.

Robert E. McCorkle

(1960 Farm Management, 1956-60 Marching Band, Concert Band, Pep Band) Agribusiness faculty member at Cal Poly.

Michael J. McRae, D.D.S.

(1960 Bio Sci, 1957-60 Collegians) Retired from a dental practice in SLO. Play clarinet in the SLO Wind Orchestra. My son Brian is a Cal Poly civil engineering graduate and is managing engineer for Lumos Engineering in South Lake Tahoe.

Allyson Arnold Montague

(1979 Home Ec., 1973-76 Marching Band, Symphonic Band) For pleasure: piano; church: handbells and clarinet. Have owned and operated Arnold’s Catering since 1978. Four children: Courtney (BS agricultural business, Cal Poly); Chris (graphic arts major), Paige (enology major at CSU Fresno), Kaitlin (psychology major). Have 3 Jack Russell terriers that I run after. My husband Ed Montague (IE ’76) works for the Hilmar Cheese Company. Married for 33 years.

Jameson Swanagon

(2005 Music Major, 2002-05 University Jazz Band I, Jazz Combo Guitar Ensemble) Shortly after completing the Masters program in Contemporary Improvisation at New England Conservatory I moved to Los Angeles with my wife, Danae. Last August we relocated to San Francisco to pursue a number of music projects. I have been giving solo guitar concerts of folk music and free jazz (a combination I stole from John Fahey), playing with a number of jazz musicians around the Bay Area, and performing with a rock group called Grand Lake that just released a short album on a small label called 500 Records.

Greg Wolf

(1987 Business Administration, 1983-1987 Men’s Chorus) I worked in the entertainment industry after graduation for 18+ years before branching out and starting a small real estate investment business in South Texas and residential real estate sales in Southern California.
Musically, I still play guitar and sing in a church worship band. Sure miss the inspiration from Tom Davies and Craig Russell and my days at Cal Poly, SLO!

Christopher Young

(1974 Architectural Engineering, 1970-74 Men’s Glee Club, “The World Famous” Majors and Minors) Married for 34 years, 3 children, working as a senior project manager for Swinerton Builders in San Francisco. Still play guitar and sing with friends. Continued to perform vicariously through my youngest daughter who sang and traveled all over the world for 9 years with the Contra Costa Children’s Chorus